Chapter 539: The Scenes of the Mythical Era (Two-in-One)

Urban Fiction

A hazy, snow-white aura enveloped the mecha as it rapidly soared through the blue sky and white clouds.

Xu Zhi sat calmly in the cockpit, intending to truly explore his surroundings. After all, this was the original purpose behind building his mechanical war armor, and the cycle of reincarnation in the gourmet world had been created to serve this very idea.

The Solar System, after all, was his living environment. It was also a journey, much like how many people are curious about foreign lands. Xu Zhi was curious about the structure of the entire Solar System, as if he were exploring his immediate surroundings.

If possible, perhaps he would try to find new sandbox environments?

Who knew?

Perhaps exploration and the pursuit of truth were the most interesting things...

Gradually, the surroundings became completely dark, transforming into a sky full of stars.

Xu Zhi silently closed his eyes and began to assess the current situation. "It's been a while since I reached the Heavenly Emperor realm, and I still haven't advanced to the mid-stage Heavenly Emperor realm... During this time, the sandbox has fully matured, accumulating a vast amount of resources, equivalent to several mass extinctions."

"Never mind, I'll take a trip to the moon first."

As Xu Zhi thought, he manipulated the mecha through the dark, starry sky, leisurely taking out a piece of fruit to eat, as if on vacation. It felt like driving a car on a highway trip. During this time, he also quietly observed the scenes within his body.

"I'm not wasting any time, after all, my time is very valuable."

In the Underworld,

After the loss of reincarnation, the entire Fengdu fell into chaos and disarray.

Many beings had initially believed that "reincarnation" was an unchangeable, fixed law of heaven and earth, like the mountains and rivers that nourish all things. However, the shock it brought to everyone now was immense!

It was as if, one day, someone suddenly took away all the water and mountains from the world, claiming they would take them out for a trip and bring them back later. The shock people felt was akin to seeing a desolate, dry, and deformed world, stripped of its rivers and mountains.

"What on earth is going on?"

"The Ancient Mythology Era!?"

"That's reincarnation! Reincarnation!"

"They just took it away so easily!"

Murmurs intertwined softly.

Unease, anxiety, and dread increasingly mingled in many hearts, growing stronger and more terrifying.

At the same time, a terrifying thought erupted within them: such an existence could even take away reincarnation.

...Could it be 'Heaven' from the legends?

But was that truly the case?

Many were extremely intelligent and understood the greatest contradiction in history: if such an entity were invincible, why would the ancient gods of the past choose to attack the Underworld, seeking to escape the cycle of six paths and transcend all things... only to be defeated and eternally suppressed in the depths of hell, suffering endless torment?

If it truly was so invincible, why would they choose a battle destined for death?

And if it wasn't invincible, how could the immense power controlling reincarnation not be invincible?

Everyone fell silent.

Their worldview was collapsing.

They felt that their lives, all their common sense about life, were being utterly overturned.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhi, sitting in his mechanical war armor en route to the moon, remained quite indifferent to the unrest erupting in the Underworld.

He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. He couldn't leave "reincarnation" there indefinitely; it was his weapon, his mechanical war armor, and he would inevitably take it out, and often.

Since it was inevitable, there was no need to be concerned.

Furthermore, the main reason for his indifference was that this was the Underworld. No matter how terrifying things got, after drinking a bowl of the soup and being reborn, it wouldn't matter to them.

At this moment, despite the commotion in Fengdu, it didn't escalate into widespread unrest. For some reason, the number of people at the combat pavilions suddenly increased, and there was an urgent, desperate air about them, their eyes gleaming with focus.

"They're laying bricks even more diligently."

"Their movements are very skilled, their eyes fixed, filled with determination."

As the foreman, Zhang Xiao watched this scene quietly, knowing their intentions. He calmly said, "Yes, anyone... would be curious about the truth of history. Now, they want to seize the opportunity while that being is outside with reincarnation to communicate with the ancient entities suppressed deep in hell and uncover the historical blanks of that ancient era! Emperor Qitian, the All-Slayer... those poetic titles are truly awe-inspiring. How could they not be curious?"

Zhang Xiao's expression was calm.

How wise he was.

He understood their thoughts; it was human nature.

But this time, he lacked his usual enthusiasm and curiosity. Instead, he sat atop a high point, merely supervising and planning their construction divisions.

"As for me, I'm not curious... or rather, it's not that I'm truly not curious, but because I know curiosity is the primary driving force behind the advancement of civilization and eras, yet curiosity can also be a deadly weapon."

In truth, he was the most curious of all.

He was the first to encounter the arcade machines, but he feared death!

He knew he couldn't afford any accidents because he bore too much responsibility. He had to persevere until Li Sansheng's next return, guiding him through each reincarnation and growth. The task was arduous and crucial for the future.

After all, the cost of curiosity for others was, at most, being thrown back into reincarnation. After a bowl of the soup, their memories would be wiped, and they would start anew. These people didn't care.

As for the sovereign who controlled reincarnation, he showed no fear of being spied upon. Otherwise, he wouldn't allow the dead to manipulate and torment the ancient mighty beings within the "Gate of Hell." This act in itself revealed much, and His Majesty was clearly confident.

Because a bowl of Granny Meng's soup would make them forget even such earth-shattering secrets.

Only he was different!

He couldn't reincarnate yet, couldn't drink Granny Meng's soup. He had to stay here, unable to get involved, and dared not know the truth of history.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Maotiao was also supervising, and he and his stream viewers were shocked!

"They took reincarnation away? What kind of sudden plot twist is this? The world-building of this game is too bizarre!"

"Damn it, I thought reincarnation was a fixed law of this world... Who knew they'd just carry it off?!"

"And where did they carry reincarnation off to?"

The netizens were discussing the game's strangeness. This game was indeed not like the shallow, gaudy ones before; its background world-building was bizarre and mysterious, sparking intense curiosity and anticipation.

"Let them fear, let them boil with excitement, let them be thrilled."

Maotiao's expression was calm. With his glossy, neatly parted hair, he watched the crowd frantically laying bricks, perfecting Fengdu.

"How pitiful... The way you're being manipulated by me is truly pathetic. Doubling your brick-laying efficiency, frantically earning coins—you're practically the strongest tool-people in history! They actually want to extract secrets from those arcade characters? Those guys are fake, it's impossible!"

He was full of pride.

Although Maotiao was also shocked by the sovereign's inscrutable mystery and ability to take away reincarnation, he knew very well that these people were barking up the wrong tree! It was impossible to extract false information from the arcade machines.

Because they were all fictional historical figures.

At the same time, a terrifying thought erupted within him,

Could this be why he was chosen to cover up historical secrets?

If a fake history was presented, no one would bother to explore the real one.

"This existence is terrifying!" Maotiao was greatly astonished. Looking at the crowd frantically playing the arcade machines, he thought, "Is this his goal? To scheme so deeply, and even use it as an opportunity to make them lay bricks faster."

His face filled with admiration, he was somewhat awed by this being's immense wisdom. "Damn it, I've boarded his pirate ship! I've joined the NPC faction, and now I have to help him maintain the lie... But his wisdom is terrifying; there won't be any loopholes. Trying to get anything out of these fake people we created is utterly futile!"

He slowly shook his head, brimming with confidence. "Hitching my wagon to his star, I'll be full of blessings..."

Just then, a scream suddenly echoed from a distance.

"Who is that!?" a startled cry rang out. "Jue Wushen... What does that mean? Peerless, godless?"

Maotiao: ???

"Where did this character come from? This won't cause a major incident, will it?" He quickly jumped down from the elevated stone slab, smoothed his glossy, parted hair, and hurried over.

"How is this a different scene?"

"Is this a real scene from ancient mythology?"

At that moment, a group of people stood in front of an arcade machine, too excited to speak.

They had actually connected!

Inside the arcade machine, it wasn't the chosen character opponent, but an unknown being who appeared. The sky collapsed, the earth cracked, and the sun and moon lost their light. It was as if the entire world had turned into complete darkness, filled with desolation and intricate fissures, the ground resembling a shattered, cracked eggshell.

"I shall reverse the six paths and achieve true godhood, and that shall be today."

A furious roar tore through the void, as if heaven and earth had welcomed their first sound.

There was no figure, no specific visual.

Everyone watched in bewilderment, encountering for the first time someone whose appearance and image were unseen. Their minds were muddled, and many had the same thought: Who was this person?

Reverse the six paths and achieve true godhood?

Could it be a Heavenly Emperor who had cultivated to the extreme, someone on the verge of breaking through to godhood? Achieving true godhood?

Wait, there's a problem with those words. How could a mere Heavenly Emperor dare to defy the entity controlling reincarnation? Isn't that like a mayfly shaking a tree? But why was this Heavenly Emperor so full of determination?

This short sentence seemed simple, but like the poetic titles, it contained an enormous amount of information. Pondering its context revealed much, and many also perceived the profound contradictions within it, which were difficult to reconcile upon closer thought.

"Impossible! A battle involving only Heavenly Emperors couldn't possibly have such terrifying destructive power." a Celestial spoke up, hastily adding, "I've seen Emperor Yun fight, and his combat power isn't even one percent of this! With this level of destruction, Emperor Yun would be crushed instantly!"

Everyone was completely perplexed.

Just as everyone held their breath, carefully processing the information, the next sentence, even more terrifying and rich with profound implications, instantly shocked everyone's nerves:

"Through countless ages, a prehistoric being lay dormant, waiting until today, finally ushering in a glorious era. In this era, allied with the contemporary prodigies, we are determined to extract the true name of reincarnation, fighting only for this lifetime, not for the next... This epoch will not fail again!"

The moment these words appeared, everyone fell silent, their hearts utterly terrified.

However, none of them were simple individuals. After a mere two seconds of silence, they quickly composed themselves and calmed their inner fears.

Someone quickly spoke up, initiating discussion and also intending to reassure those around them. "Prehistoric? This epoch won't fail again? Could it be that there's been more than one struggle? That's chilling!"

An elder, stroking his white beard with an air of ancient wisdom, remained calm and composed. "The entity speaking — Jue Wushen — has likely failed once before. He is a survivor who lay dormant through a prehistoric period, returning now and inviting all the contemporary prodigies. Could they be Emperor Qitian and others? If so, by this account, we are at least in the third epoch. As for what's described, retrieving the true name of reincarnation...."

He suddenly fell silent.

The surrounding crowd also grew quiet.

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. This silence lasted for a full four seconds.

They exchanged glances, all utterly aghast.

They naturally knew that everyone had a unique true name in reincarnation, held by Granny Meng.

What followed was an even more horrifying scene: endless blood rain fell, mortals were crushed to death by the bloodshed, and everything became desolate, as if for eternity. Even the vast cycle of reincarnation subtly showed cracks.

Even reincarnation...

They were instantly shocked!

A Quasi-Emperor, with a thoughtful mind, inexplicably estimated the destructive power shown in the scene: it was enough for one person to obliterate the entire mortal realm, or even the celestial realm... and the battle was so fierce that even reincarnation itself cracked.

Next, even more chilling and profoundly sorrowful words appeared.

"No, I am unwilling! No living being in this world can break free from these shackles, escape the six paths of reincarnation, and become a true god.... Even you, trying in this manner, cannot achieve true godhood!"

No one could become a god.

The final scene from the prehistoric era, a tragic display, and the information left by their predecessors. This sentence was easy to understand: these individuals, likely all Heavenly Emperors, were fighting to break through to godhood, while that one existence seemed to be preventing others from achieving it, forbidding their breakthrough.

Someone pondered this deeply, but the next sentence was truly baffling:

"—Even you, cannot become a god?"

How could the entity controlling reincarnation still not be a god?

Even the mysterious figure battling him, Jue Wushen, possessed incredibly astonishing destructive power; they couldn't even imagine it was just a Heavenly Emperor. Even the current Emperor Yun couldn't match one percent of that combat strength... And these powerful beings, allied together, were suppressed alive by a single individual. How could such an existence still be merely... a Heavenly Emperor?

Only Maotiao pursed his lips.

He had a broader understanding. Looking at the screen, Jue Wushen's destructive power was indeed astonishing, but it was still achievable for a Heavenly Emperor.

Peerless evildoers who cultivated heaven-defying techniques could achieve it.

Like Emperor Qi and Dao Changsheng in the past, each of them swept through Heavenly Emperors, defeating forty or fifty Heavenly Emperors with a single move in their eyes. Their battles tore through the entire desolate ancient world.

Such Heavenly Emperors were considered heaven-defying. They were only stuck in the Heavenly Emperor realm due to insufficient energy; their actual combat power had long surpassed that of all ordinary Heavenly Emperors and could not be measured by their realm. Jue Wushen might be such a figure.

But at this moment, he, allied with the geniuses of the entire world, was still defeated?

If this sovereign was not yet a god, then that was simply too exaggerated! It would be ten thousand times more terrifying than him being a god! Because even an ordinary deity, like the Blood Emperor, could achieve this—eradicating all Heavenly Emperors.

Maotiao's thoughts raced wildly.

As everyone was still baffled, the final voice echoed, a seemingly pivotal statement that caused everyone's bodies to rapidly cool. It was another inexplicable voice, coming from afar.

"When I was not yet a god, there were no gods in the world."